Officials from the Department of Public Safety's Forensic Labs said they will have names to most of the remains confiscated from BioCare of Albuquerque last April.

BioCare, a company that prepares organs and tissue for medical research, is under investigation for allegedly dumping and mishandling remains that were supposed to be cremated and then returned to the family members of the deceased.

Advertisement

DPS Forensic Labs is using DNA testing to identify the remains.

"We should be done today," said Noreen Purcell, interim bureau chief.

Purcell and lab technicians are processing more than 100 samples taken from bodies and body parts.

"So far we have associated 25 unknown males, 19 unknown females and one individual who we can't develop a genetic marker for their gender," said Purcell.

By doing the work in-house, DPS is saving taxpayers more than $20,000 in testing costs and getting DNA results in a fraction of the time. Sending them to out-of-state agencies or the Federal Bureau of Investigation would take anywhere from three months to two years, officials said.

Many of the remains are in severe decay, and any that cannot be identified through DNA will be identified through dental records or other tests.